Transferring electricity to a moving object, scientists step closer to remote wireless charging technology

Nikola Tesla would be very proud.

Short and concise, that researchers have come a long way in bringing straight energy into a moving object. This advanced technology can be used to improve the range of electric vehicles as they travel long distances and besides, help industrial robots operate more easily and smoothly.

Picture 1 of Transferring electricity to a moving object, scientists step closer to remote wireless charging technology

The people who brought us this technological breakthrough are researchers from Stanford University, designing new energy transmission systems based on previous research done by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They were able to transmit enough electricity to a moving LED, making it glow.

The path from this breakthrough until we can transmit electricity straight into the running car is still quite long, but at least we have confirmed that this technology is completely feasible. Imagine that along the highway there are electric guns that throw energy directly at the electric cars in circulation, the driver will not have to worry about running out of electricity in the middle of the road. The old Nikola Tesla dream has come true, at least on a small scale.


Big step in remote power transmission.

When the voltage is high enough, the current can be efficiently transmitted through a conductive system at a distance, the process called induction inductance. Simply put, electrical induction describes how a moving magnetic field can produce an electric current in a conducting system.

Because the current itself has its own magnetic field, engineers can change the current so that it can generate voltage without having a direct connection. All of the above changes (to generate voltage) can be carried out through the electromagnetic field. In this way, in theory, we can transmit energy between two circuits without connecting them.

Specifically, in this experiment, the researchers delivered 60 watts of energy with a 40% efficiency with a distance of 2 meters. The major problem lies in the frequency of the oscillation of the magnetic field, which causes the current to be transmitted, and if an object receives electricity that moves or is located at an angle too large, between the source and the device Receiving will not create the most efficient current.

Picture 2 of Transferring electricity to a moving object, scientists step closer to remote wireless charging technology

To solve this problem, the researchers used a simpler voltage amplification system and added a feedback resistor that automatically adjusts the voltage based on what it receives from the circuit. power receiving energy.

' Adding amplifiers and resistors allows energy to be efficiently transmitted within 1 meter, no matter which direction the receiving device is ,' said research leader Sid Assawaworrarit. 'The new system has allowed us not to adjust the circuit continuously to get good results'.

With the old method, the LED will reduce the brightness when it is further away from the source. With amplifiers and resistors, the LED has a stable brightness when moving away. This is good news for future electric vehicle systems.

Currently, electric cars are a new trend of manufacturers. The new Tesla Model 3 is expected to run about 345 km on each charge, while the Chevrolet Bolt can go a little more, 383 km. These figures can be compared to small cars, and it will no doubt increase in the future. But with charging technology from remote power transmission like this, we will save a lot of time charging.

Picture 3 of Transferring electricity to a moving object, scientists step closer to remote wireless charging technology

And if you find the car charger is too big, considering the size of the car is quite large, you can think of charging the phone without having to plug in the cord. The fruit is easy to imagine and much smaller. Moreover, automation plants with long ranges of robots will be much more efficient with this air-charging technology.

Researchers believe they will be able to increase the amount of energy that distant / moving devices can receive from the power source. It is even possible to design such systems with simple equipment. The future of humankind is much more confusing, because we won't need many wires anymore.

Nikola Tesla will surely be proud of this achievement.